Tag / Africa

In the latest installment of his Food for Thought series, Colin Wells, global head of industry vertical perishables at Panalpina, speaks of how perishables were flown out of Kenya in the 80s and what has changed since...

Same as last year, Panalpina assisted UNICEF by flying relief aid to Africa to help children in South Sudan, where the humanitarian needs after years of conflict remain massive. A Panalpina chartered cargo aircraft landed last night in neighboring Uganda, carrying nearly 70 tons of supplies. The supplies will be trucked to South Sudan and distributed across the country as the dry season begins.

Panalpina is assisting UNICEF for the sixth time by flying relief aid to Africa. The following report was written by journalist Peter Martell earlier this year and shows how getting aid to the people who need it most requires extreme efforts. The report also impressively illustrates how every ton of relief goods makes a big difference to thousands of people who often have not had aid for years.

Panalpina continues to expand and invest in Kenya, doubling its cold storage space at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to enable more and improved services for its perishables customers in and out of the country.

Panalpina was recently called in for help by one of its largest oil and gas customers in Angola to avoid a shutdown at one of their main offshore platforms. A critical cargo of specialized pipes, bundles and racks had had to be moved from Malabo in Equatorial Guinea to Cabinda, Angola in a port-to-port operation, and Panalpina deployed its African Star to save the day.

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Panalpina is expanding its Perishables Network to South Africa. The company is to acquire a majority stake in perishables specialist Skyservices. With the latest acquisition, Panalpina sets foot in a strategic market with its own presence in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The move will enable end-to-end solutions for perishables from South Africa to Europe, the Middle East, Far East and the USA.

Fruit Logistica 2018 in Berlin is history, but the global appetite for perishables persists. On the first day of the most important exhibition for the international trade of fresh produce, Panalpina’s Colin Wells elaborated on the global trends for the supply and demand of fruits and vegetables. Learn more and don't miss out on the new bonus video!

​Panalpina once again assisted UNICEF by flying relief aid to Africa, this time to help children suffering in South Sudan. The country’s humanitarian crisis is a culmination of years of civil war compounded by famine and disease. A Panalpina chartered cargo aircraft landed in neighboring Uganda, carrying nearly 80 tons of supplies.

Panalpina is to acquire the Dutch company Interfresh Airfreight Handling. Interfresh specializes in the customs clearance and last-mile distribution of imported perishables from Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. With this acquisition, Panalpina takes another significant step in building its global Perishables Network and offering complete end-to-end solutions on a global scale.

International freight forwarding and logistics company Panalpina announced today the completion of the acquisition of Air Connection, a specialized forwarder of flowers and vegetables following the approval by the Competition Authority of Kenya. The move follows Panalpina’s acquisition of Airflo in 2016 and positions the company as a clear market leader in perishables in Kenya.

In an interview with Air Cargo Week, Panalpina’s Conrad Archer and Colin Wells elaborated on the perishables peak season ahead, rising demand in Asia Pacific and China in particular, the renaissance of fruit and vegetables in Kenya and elsewhere, and Panalpina’s investments. They also addressed the trend of direct shipments and e-commerce, as well as Qatar’s appetite for Kenyan mangoes.

International freight forwarding and logistics company Panalpina is to acquire Air Connection, a Kenya-based forwarder specialized in the export of flowers and vegetables. The move comes after Panalpina’s acquisition of Airflo in Kenya in 2016 and only two weeks after the company formally announced the launch of its global Perishables Network.

For the fourth consecutive year, UNICEF and Panalpina have joined forces to fly relief goods to an African country where population movements, food insecurity, malnutrition and natural disasters have led to a health emergency and precarious humanitarian situation. In the morning hours, a Panalpina chartered cargo aircraft landed in Chad with more than 80 tons of life-saving goods on board.

Cameron Kerr is supervising the construction of Panalpina’s giant new Logistics Manufacturing Services center at Dubai World Central Airport. 90% of the building has been constructed and completion is planned for mid-August. The 40,000 m2 facility will enable Panalpina to grow its logistics and freight forwarding business in the MEAC region.

Kenny is one of many children UNICEF and Panalpina had in mind when they flew 70 tons of vital medicines to Burundi in November of last year. Thanks to the joint action, Kenny was able to receive free medication and quickly recover when he became ill. Watch the behind the scenes slideshow of our relief flight to find out more on how the delivery of relief goods is making a difference in Burundi.

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After more than 50 years, Panalpina’s connect magazine will be retired. The last issue of connect takes a look at the challenges and opportunities for doing business in Africa and how Panalpina is expanding its footprint on this continent.
Africa aside, the ultimate edition of connect explains how Panalpina is exploring innovative ways to prepare for the future in a circular economy.

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For the third consecutive year, UNICEF and Panalpina have joined forces to fly much-needed relief goods to an African country where a recurring crisis is taking a heavy toll on society and its weakest members: children. In the morning hours, a Panalpina chartered cargo aircraft landed in Burundi with 70 tons of primary medical care goods on board.

Panalpina is to acquire a majority stake in Airflo, a company based in Kenya and the Netherlands specialized in the export handling of flowers and vegetables. Airflo is part of Dutch Flower Group (DFG), the world’s largest flower and plant trader. The acquisition reflects Panalpina’s continued expansion in Africa and its increasing focus on the perishables business.

Panalpina is to acquire its Egyptian agent Afifi, a highly respected family-owned company specializing in freight forwarding, customs clearance and logistics. The move is an important step in Panalpina’s continued strategic expansion in growth economies, in particular in the Middle East and Africa. Afifi has been Panalpina’s agent in Egypt for the last 20 years.